The Proposal
by i heart romance
Summary: What if Alanna had said yes to Jon's proposal, instead of no? How would the story have turned out then? Just a story I decided to write on a whim, there may be others about the other heroines. Roger stays dead- may change. rated T for safety. Please R&R!
1. Yes

_**The Proposal**_

"**Yes"**

**Okay, in case my summary wasn't clear, this is a story about how things might have ended up if Alanna had said yes to Jon's proposal in the third book (The Woman Who Rides Like a Man). In case you've forgotten Alanna's refusal had a big impact on the story, because it meant she and George got together in Port Caynn, that Jon got together with Josianne, it lead eventually to Alanna meeting Thayet, Buri and Liam and perhaps most importantly, lead her to find the Dominion Jewel- none of which would have happened if she had said yes and became queen. Anyway, the idea occurred to me and so on a whim I thought I'd write it. And I may write some more, about if important things hadn't happened in the Immortals, Protector of the Small, Trickster or Beeka Cooper books. **

**I hope you like it! Please R&R.**

George looked down in sadness at the letter in his hand. It had just been delivered by a young Bazhir boy. He had immediately recognized Alanna's careless script and eagerly opened the letter. George was always enthusiastic about news from his friend, and after the Jon had left with such clear intents of marriage, he was especially impatient.

When it had first been clear that Jon intended to propose to Alanna, George hadn't been sure what he had wanted the outcome to be. He loved Alanna, and was sure she would be unhappy in marriage; Alanna wanted freedom, adventure; marriage, even to Jon who would one day be king, wouldn't be able to give her that. But Jon was his friend, and it was painfully clear to him that Jon truly did love Alanna; George knew that if she refused him, it would be painful for his royal friend, and not simply because of wounded pride.

So George had sat and wondered and imagined every possibility he could conceive of how the situation would work out between his two friends. But despite this constant pondering, George had still been unprepared for when he opened Alanna's letter and finally discovered what her answer had been. He started down at the letter, unable to look past the three words that stood out against the pale page as if they were the only words written there.

_I said yes._

George couldn't read anymore. He dropped the letter and instead turned his attention to his frothing pint of ale.

***

As she, Jon and Myles rode through the outskirts of Chorus, on their way back to the capital; Alanna couldn't get rid of the tight feeling in her stomach that made her unable to respond to Jon's smiles. Also making the ride uncomfortable were the thoughtful, intense and unsettling glances Myles was giving her. She refused to return his gaze, so instead Alanna tried to keep her mind off it, instead thinking of the time she had spent in the desert with the Bazhir. She smiled ironically to herself as a thought occurred to her; she had left Chorus looking for adventure and would now return, just a few months later with a father, a fiancé, as an ex-Bazhir shaman and a member of the Bazhir tribe, Bloody Hawk. She had certainly gotten adventure, though not the sort she had expected. With the happy thoughts of the friends she had made in the desert, Alanna barely noticed as their small party rode past the Dancing Dove, where George inside sat, still intent on his ale.

**What did you think? I know it was short and a little strange but please review and tell me what you think!**

**Xxx **


	2. The Right Choice

_**The Proposal**_

**The Right Choice**

**So this is the next chapter, I hope you like it. Once again, I'm sorry it's short- I originally wrote one long thing, but then I decided to separate it, and make it into chapters, they just ended up short.**

Jon had known that his parents, particularly his father- still offended that Alanna had succeeded in fooling the entire court into thinking she was a boy- would not be happy that it was her he had chosen to be his queen. He had known this, but he hadn't cared, he loved Alanna and he knew that she would make a good leader, and together they would succeed where his father had failed in making Tortall a better place than it already was.

But as Jon sat, taking in the outrage on his father's creased face and the dismay on his mother's pale one, he couldn't help but wonder whether he had made the right choice.

***

_1 month later_

Alanna perched on the edge of the overstuffed sofa, uncomfortably trying to spread her skirts around her as she sat, like Mistress Cooper had tried to teach her all those years ago. However, even the fond memories of her friend's mother and the days when she had hopelessly tried to teach Alanna how to be a girl during her time as a squire, couldn't put a smile on her face painted and decorated with cosmetics.

Ever since she had returned to Chorus as Jon's fiancé she had spent her days working hard, having lessons, attending parties, studying how to be a queen, as she would one day become. The long hours, repetitive lessons and dull teachers reminded her of her lessons as a page, when she had first come to the castle disguised as a boy. However when she was a page, at least the fact that the dreary lessons were helping her on her way to becoming a knight had made them tolerable. However Alanna really couldn't care less that, as future queen, she needed to know how to address every class of person, how to apply rouge so the colour looked natural and how to play the piano. But for Jon's sake, if no one else's Alanna sat through the tedious lessons and tried to lose her temper as little as possible.

But as the hours drew on and she watched her teachers getting more and more impatient with her, she watched the King and Queen looking more and more hopeless, she watched Jon seem to grow more and more distance and she watched lightening, slowly rusting in its sheath from lack of use.

**Please review! You have no idea how much I love getting reviews!**

**Xxx **


	3. Visiting the City

_**The Proposal**_

**Visiting the City**

**Here's the third chapter! I hope you like it and please review!**

_1 month later_

Thankful to finally have a moment to herself, Alanna pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders and headed into the city. The excuse for the trip was a visit to a healer in the city- it was a visit Alanna fully intended to make, it had been so long since she had seen Mistress Cooper, but first Alanna stopped at the Dancing Dove to see George for the first time in so many months.

She found her unlawful friend in his rooms, sitting on his bed in a loose shirt and breeches, sharpening one of the many daggers he kept hidden in sheaths under his clothes. When Alanna knocked and entered the room, the expression on his face had been hard to read, but when he saw her it changed to one that was painfully clear. It was a mix of anger, sadness, surprise and disappointment.

"It's been a long time since you've been here." Alanna felt like there was silent judgement behind each word.

"I haven't had time, they've been keeping me so busy up at the palace." Her excuse sounded pathetic, even to her ears and suddenly, for an inexplicable reason, she was mad. "Besides, it's not like you've tried to see me!" at this George grinned broadly.

"So, the real you still is under all that face paint? That's the best news I've had in a long time." Self-consciously Alanna raised her hand to her painted cheek.

"They won't let me out without it on," she explained, "They won't let me wear breeches either."

"And since when did you care for what anyone would _let_ you do?" unable to reply to this Alanna simply looked around George's room, trying to convince herself she wasn't avoiding George's knowing gaze. "Come on lass, let's go down and get ye a drink; by the look of ye, I'd say ye need one." Alanna smiled up at the friend she hadn't seen in so long, and hadn't realised how much she'd missed until now.

"So, it sounds like you had quite a time in the desert." Alanna and George sat each with a tankard of Solomon's finest ale as Alanna told George about her time with the Bazhir.

"That I did." Alanna couldn't help from smiling. It was such a relief to be able to just talk with someone who knew her, about something other than dresses and courtiers. She's almost forgotten what it was like to simply enjoy herself with a good friend.

"So, other than no free time, spending your days learning how to pour tea and having no time to do what you've been training for, for the last eight years, how are things up at the castle?" George's face was earnest and Alanna knew she had to give him an honest answer.

"Well. I don't get to see much of Raoul or Gary; they're so busy with their duties. And I have no time to practice the sword; and the only time I can ride Moonlight it when they're trying to teach me to ride side-saddled. I barely even see Jon; I have no time for anything. Ever since we arrived back from the desert, it seems I've had no chance to do anything of the things _I _want to do." There was a pause as Alanna wondered if she could continue. "When Jon first proposed, I wasn't sure what I should say. I said yes, because I thought that would be best. But ever since we got back, I've been wondering whether it was, whether I made the right choice." The relief of finally being able to tell someone her thoughts was overwhelming, so she almost didn't notice the furious expression on George's face as he suddenly stood up. His back was turned when he spoke, but the tone of his voice gave her a clear image of what was on his face.

"You should go, Alanna, it's getting late." And without so much as looking back at his red-haired friend he stormed out of the room, leaving Alanna own her own, fighting back tears at the unexpected reaction her friend had had.

***

"Why would he react like that? Why?" Alanna shouted furiously, pacing the clean floor of Mistress Cooper's kitchen. As Alanna yelled and let out her frustration, Eleni watched her with keen interest. She had been wondering how her temperamental friend was adjusting to life as the future queen, it did not surprise her that the answer was not well.

"And Jon! He's barely talked to me in a _month_! The only time I see him is at night, and then he says he's too tired to talk. I miserable because I'm trying to do what his parents want me to and he doesn't even have the good manners to ask me how I feel!" Alanna was having a full tantrum now, letting the things she had be trying not to think about, explode put of her. Suddenly Alanna sagged, like she had no energy left in her. He sank woefully down into the chair opposite Mistress Cooper.

"Did I make the right choice? I thought I had, but I just don't know anymore." Eleni was surprised at how upset and venerable Alanna looked, and more so at the fact Alanna was telling her so much; it was very unlike her to be so open.

"I'm sorry Alanna, but I can't tell you whether or not you made the right choice, that's really up to you to determine. And I think you know why George was so upset." Eleni stood up and fetched Alanna's cloak, she gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder before waving goodbye to her friend.

As Eleni closed the door, Alanna was overwhelmed with an immense loneliness, and letting the tears that rolled down her cheeks fall, she trudged regretfully back to the palace.

**Please don't forget to review!**

**Xxx**


	4. The Wedding

_**The Wedding**_

**The Proposal**

**As you may have guessed this is the chapter with the wedding in it! I hope you like it and don't forget to review please!**

George woke up to the sound of people cheering outside his window. For a moment he couldn't think why, but then he remembered. Today was Alanna and Jon's wedding; they were celebrating the marriage of their beloved heir.

'Let them cheer' he thought grumpily. 'But I'll be damned if I celebrate.' Before he could stop it the image he had been trying so hard not to think of jumped into his head.

_Alanna stood in a beautiful white gown, her face hidden by a lace veil. She held a bouquet of sweet smelling flowers in her hands as she walked gracefully down the aisle. Guests looked on in pride, love and admiration as she passed them. When she stopped walking and pulled back her veil to reveal her face that glowed with pure happiness, it was George that waited for her at the altar, not Jon. _

George was entirely lost in his glorious fantasy when there was a knock at his door. As he let Solomon into the room George wasn't sure whether the frown on his face was at being interrupted in his daydream, or the knowledge that his desire could never come true.

***

Alanna stared at herself in the large mirror in front of her. What she saw was not bad, but it did not seem like herself. Her now long, fiery locks were pinned up into a stylish heap with pins encrusted with jewels that sparkled in the light. A sheer veil finely embroided and decorated with tiny pearls was pinned to her head and fell down delicately to her waist. The neckline of the long white gown she wore was just low enough to make her look feminine but not low enough to be dishonourable. Like her veil the bodice of Alanna's gown was embroided beautifully and studded with small pearls and diamonds which twinkled merrily as the sunlight shone on them. The sleeves were long and clung to her arms; pearl buttons going up to her elbows held them fast and along with lace trimming, made them fancy. The skirt was long and full, ballooning out from where her bodice stopped at her waist. Countless lace petticoats that were worth more than Moonlight gave the dress its remarkable volume. Her fingers and wrists were unadorned but sparkling earrings hung from her newly pierced lobes and on a thick chain around her neck a diamond bigger than her eye glittered magically and cast tiny rainbows around the room.

With a sigh she smoothed her creaseless skirt and wondered whether Jon was as nervous as she was.

The scent of her bouquet- filled with fragrant lilies and delicate roses- made Alanna dizzy as she waited nervously for the moment of no return when she would begin her journey down the long aisle to meet Jon at the end. Panic filled her as she thought of what she was about to do. Alanna didn't want to be a queen, she wanted to be a knight and have adventures- not be mollycoddled by idiotic courtiers and told what to do by a counsel of advisors.

As the rest of the precession filed out in front of her, Alanna's feet, clad in silk slippers, itched to run and leave behind the wedding.

But Alanna didn't run; she took a deep breath and told herself that if she could go to war (and survive) when she was barely sixteen, she could do anything. So, slowly and elegantly Alanna walked down the aisle, feeling the gazes of hundreds of people intent on her. She focused on Jon's face in front of her; a small but sincere smile lighting up his features as she moved towards him. Next to Jon stood Gary, who Jon had chosen to be his best man, after him was Roaul and Alex, the two other groomsmen. As she walked Alanna wondered whether Jon would have chosen Roger, had he been alive and the truth had not been uncovered. But before she could ponder this thought any further, she reached the altar and took her place beside Jon, as the priest began to speak.

Looking out at Chorus through her window Alanna was filled with a peculiar feeling of comfort. This was her city, her home, it was where she belonged. As the lights that twinkled in the darkness began to go out and she began to shiver in her thin nightgown, Jon called her away from the window. As she curled up next to him in the bed, she couldn't help but feel that everything had turned out for the best- despite how worried she had been before. Absorbed in happiness Alanna and Jon began their first night together as a married couple.

**I hoped you enjoyed it and will tell me what you think in you review! (Subtle aren't I?).**

**I'm not really sure if they actually would have worn white or had best men etc. at a wedding, but I didn't know how to find out, so I just assumed. As you may have noticed Alanna and Jon do not go on a honeymoon, there is no reason for that other than I thought it was more suitable for them not to.**

**Oh, and I own none of the characters (or places for that matter).**

**Xxx **


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